There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Although, grants may seem like a free lunch, technically they are not. After receiving a grant from a government agency, the grantee is expected to meet the obligations required of him, which are submitting progress reports on the business or the charity-organization to which the grant was first used.

The grantee decides how much money the agency will lend him ñ as long as it meet s the criteria of the Government agency. Money is non-taxable and interest fee. None of these programs require the grantee to submit a credit check, security deposits, collateral or co-signers. You can apply even if you are bankrupt or have a negative credit history. Anybody can do so, as long as you are over 18, a taxpayer and a US citizen. Guaranteed US Government Grant for USA Citizens at http://www.trustedreviews.info/money/usm/unclesamsmoney.html

These grants are classified into two kinds. The first kind is the general purpose or operating support grants. This occurs when the government agency bestows a grant to your organization that will be used to operate and support the general expenses in running your establishment. An operating grant is when the lender supports the organization’s goal and invests in them to make the most out of the money that they lend you.

Second kind is program development or program support grants. This is when the government supports not only the procedures but also the processes in the progress of the campaign. These include the planned activities targeted to get positive feedback for its culmination.

If you would like to know the common kinds of project grants, here are some of them:

1.) Planning grants

A good deal of money and time is spent figuring on a major new program for your company. Research whatever is needed, consult with the people involved, look on other activities you can do before you write a proposal for a planning grant.

2.) Start-up grants

Also known as seed money, start-up grants assists an organization during its first couple of years. It is like a push for the business venture to do well without worrying about financial resources. These grants are often for more than a year and it decreases as each year pass. This is because the funder expects the company to slow get into its feet as time goes by. Up to $500,000 from venture capital companies for your new business. US Government Grants for Citizens

3.) Facilities and equipment grants

Also known as ìbrick and mortarî or capital grants, facilities and equipment grants assists the company to buy the physical asset for the establishment. These could be the building, the computers or the vehicle, for example. In the proposal of the applicant, he must defend his proposal for the acquisition he is requesting for. How will this help the company and be of service to his clients? Funders also require the applicants to make a report on their progress because they double check whether the companies are able to maintain these resources over time.

4.) Endowment grants

Non-profit charities have money set aside that they use to invest and earn interest in the future. The principal sum remains untouched because they only spend the interest. These are endowment grants and are rampant with charities like hospitals and colleges. The fund-raising efforts for the benefit of hospitals and colleges start from these kind of grants. But the government makes sure that the interest of the principal sum or the endowment remains the same so that there is no need for the endowment to meet the annual operating costs.

5.) Program related investments or PRIs

The IRS not only allow grants to foundations, they also permit them to make loans through the program related investments to non-profit organizations. The PRIs that have been approved are projects that met the requirements to be eligible for grant support. Usually, they are met at a low or sometimes zero interest. But because it is a loan, PRIs must be paid back by the organization. Often times, PRIs are the ones involved in the building project of charities. Up to $5,000 to convert your vehicle from gas to an alternate fuel. US Government Grant for USA Citizens

If you are aiming at starting out on a business venture soon, you are going to be looking into a number of different financing options in order to get all the money that you require. Every business owner can tell you that it takes a good chunk of liquid money to begin any kind of enterprise, regardless of what type of business you are going into. How does one go about getting a loan to begin a business venture? There are many ways in which this can be managed, with each one offering its own specific advantages for new business owners.

Common knowledge and conventional wisdom tells business owners that they have to approach banks if they need financing. There, you can try to get hold of an affordable business loan in order to get the ball rolling on your bright idea. The problem with banks in this day and age is that they aren’t being nearly as lenient with whom they are providing financing to. Because the market has seen a rise in the number of defaulters, lenders are tightening their credit requirements. At the same time, they are also considerably increasing their rates of interest. This could combine to make banks a financing option that is out of the price range of many new entrepreneurs. If you fall into this category, what should your response be? Do you consult family and friends to try to find someone who will help? If that doesn’t sound too appealing, then there is another option that you could look at. Your Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) is out there waiting for you if you should need financial assistance.

The Federal government decided to try and develop these local groups that have the best interest of your community in mind. There are a number of these organizations throughout the country and they represent your local area and community. These groups are filled with local people who have a ton of experience in running businesses and are in place to improve the state of local affairs. Though they also take on other responsibilities, such as environmental concerns, these advisory service committees are ultimately charged with stimulating businesses within your locality or state.

What procedures must be followed to get financing through the Local Government Advisory Service? You have to get in touch with them and see what they have on their plate at the moment. These committee members might be ready to loan you the money for a plan that would benefit both your business and the community. If you have an organized business plan that will ultimately provide something of value for your community or state, then the committee shall give you more importance. Granted that they don’t have any pressing needs that have to be addressed prior to your concern, they will take your plan to heart and start discussing giving you aid.

All of this might be affected by your hometown. Certain local advisory services have a lot more money to spare. In New York, for instance, the LGAC is in contact with millions of dollars each year which must be allocated to certain entities. Other areas of the country would probably find it very difficult to match that number, but they still feature some ability to help your venture roll out. Business owners must realize that these local committees have to keep the community’s best interest in mind, so not every project will get aid. Ultimately, it will be up to you to convince the committee that your business provides something meaningful and useful to your locality.

How does one go about convincing the committee that your idea would be a profitable one? Being organized will take you a long way. Take the time to sit down with your business plan and lay it out in a way that is easy to understand for everyone involved. Show how much business it might bring into a town or state. Inform the committee members, in certain financial terms, the scale of the impact that your business will have. This will put the pressure on them to pull the trigger on financing for your idea. Then, everyone will benefit from your desire and ability to begin a venture that will be a lucrative one.

If you are looking for a quality way to find financing for your upstart business, then you need to shop around extensively. Though it is prudent to investigate all of the options that are available to you, it would be foolish to overlook some of the things that could be hidden for a while. Your Local Government Advisory Service would be willing to help you monetarily. If you have a great idea that could add something constructive, you may not face too much trouble in getting monetary help.

Under free market, all companies can talk all they want that all the stuff they put there is for my own good. However, if the product is overpriced or if it doesnít serve my interest to get the product, I just donít buy it.

No companies, full with corruption and inefficiency, will last in the market, unless it is governments companies.

The same mechanism doesnít apply to governments program.

Indonesian governments build airplanes. It doesnít make business sense. Then every one is required to buy air plane stocks. Then governments sell the planes to Indonesiansí airways companies.
Bad business gets smaller, smaller, and gone. Bad governments business gets bigger and bigger. There is no check and balance mechanism whatsoever to ensure that when governments spend money the money worth spending.

When governments build public school, people simply says that it benefits the people. Yet, how do we know that the benefits worth the cost? Governmentsí public school can be plagued with corruption and efficiency. What are the intensives that the school boards will care about the kidsí interests when deciding curriculum?

Recently we heard costly debate on whether evolution or creationism that should be taught in school. Face it. Do we care? Most of us would rather learn business or economy so we can make big bucks.

I took graduate level Math classes straight without prerequisites and got As easily. Do I need to pay expensive teachers? Different kids have different needs and capability that properly harvested can really cut down costs of education. How do government’s regulated system adapt to it?

However, the harm of government’s program can be greatly reduced by requiring anyone that uses it to pay for the utility. That way, if governments build a pyramid and no body visits it then we know that its money wasted.

The list can go on and on. Currently poor people use bikes and the rich use car. Yet governments pay to build roads. The usage of roads is proportional to the usage of gas. There will be less cars and more bicycle if governments tax gasoline and use the money to build roads. That way, people that work at home (like me) and save a lot of cash hence getting rich faster. The only time people will buy car is if it worth’s to pay for the car and the road.

The exception to this principle is on business with economic of scale. Some Nobel winner, like John Nash, argues that deviation from competitive equilibrium is inefficient and encourages governments to actively split monopoly, or even create public monopoly. Some like Milton Friedman argues that even though it is true that some economic of scale is un-efficient. However, there’s nothing you can do about it. After all, the only naturally occurring worldwide monopolies nowadays are diamond monopolies, which will be toppled if it goes too much. The market failures fail to exceed typical government’s failure.

Hence, I have no strong opinion.

If our country is full with corruption then cost for government’s failure is huge. So market mechanism is the way. If corruption rate is relatively low, we may be able to play around safely with some government’s intervention. Watch out for what Friedman says.

Two proposals set out by the government during the last quarter of 2007 are likely to have major impact on the house building industry in 2008 and beyond. The first being the call for 3 million new homes by 2020, and the second and most significant, the proposed introduction of a statutory new planning charge.

The planning charge is designed to help pay for the infrastructure needed for new developments, and encourage regions and local authorities to plan positively for housing and economic growth.

The Government’s decision to scrap the controversial Planning Gains Supplement (PGS) in favor of the planning charge will be a relief to the industry, which feared that PGS would create a vacuum on the number of new sites brought to the market, and make many schemes financially unviable.

While the planning charge is a better way forward, it is not without its concerns. Any tax on land, which this undoubtedly still is, will either mean a rise in the cost of homes or will reduce the land value, which may have a negative effect on the number of sites coming forward for development.

The proposal for the planning charge is that it will based on a costed assessment of the infrastructure requirements specific to the development, taking into account land values. This is crucial as the cost of land in the South is significantly higher than in the North, and if the charging structure fails to take into account this regional difference then this will have severe consequences for the ability for house builders to develop new homes in higher priced regions.

The initial proposals by the British Property Federation, Home Builders Federation, London First and the Major Developers Group to the Government suggested that the charge should vary according to whether a site is greenfield, brownfield or regeneration scheme. Developers should be able to argue for a reduced tariff payment, if a scheme is not viable because of the tariff or other impositions, such as Section 106. This proposal will be key to the success of this idea.

One of the aims of the planning charge is to help make the planning process simpler. While this is to be welcomed this needs to go hand in hand with creating more land opportunities. Britain’s house builders cannot build 3 million new homes by 2020, just on brownfield sites alone, the use of the greenbelt will be essential to achieving this. The Social Marketing Foundation said in August that approximately 2 million of these new homes will need to be built outside of existing town and city boundaries.

Natural England is currently proposing a review of the greenbelt, which will look into the possibility of releasing parts of it for development. The emphasis would be on creating green wedges and corridors to link the natural environment to built areas. I would welcome, as I am sure most of the house building industry would, a review which takes a realistic view of the existing greenbelt alongside the need for new homes. Originally the greenbelt was created to protect and prevent urban sprawl. However, in recent years it has become a political issue, which has resulted in it becoming untouchable.

Building on the greenbelt in sustainable locations where access to infrastructure is already in place, will ensure a much better solution to England’s housing shortage than the development of new towns with little infrastructure or community.

The Government’s decisions on planning and housing need to be carefully considered to take into account the needs of the population and not be based on what is likely to be a vote winner. What often seems to be forgotten is that it is house builders who build homes and not the Government. Therefore the Government needs to take care not to jeopardies development opportunities by implementing policies which might hinder supply or make developments economically unviable.

House builders have the capability and willingness to build more homes but are prevented from doing so through a lack of land, long and drawn out planning legislation and a lack of commercially viable opportunities. It is to be hoped that this new planning charge will aid and not hinder the industry.

A large hurdle you must overcome to purchase a house is the down payment. Fortunately, you can get down payment help from the government for your dream home.

Getting Down Payment Help From The Government

When it comes to buying a house, the government can actually help. No, really.

HUD stands for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. With such a name, you can see why everyone just calls it HUD. The departmentís stated mission is to pursue initiatives that make home ownership available to as many Americans as possible. HUD does this through making guarantees on home loans and other initiatives. A common misconception about HUD is that it actually issues mortgages to borrowers. It does not. Before you get too disappointed, HUD does offer initiatives in the housing down payment area.

In December of 2003, HUD started an initiative known as the American Dream Downpayment Initiative. Yes, they actually spelled downpayment as one word, but who is going to complain about such help? The initiative is part of the American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act passed in 2003, which provides $200 million dollars in down payment assistance. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

The goal of the initiative is the same as all HUD programs, to wit, to increase homeownership by helping people with the hurdle of down payments. The initiative is available only to first time buyers and is focused on revitalizing neighborhoods, giving minorities a leg up as well as lower income individuals. With the skyrocketing real estate prices of the last seven years, the initiative represents a breath of fresh air.

Under the initiative, HUD will provide assistance with down payment and closing costs. The help is capped at $10,000 or six percent of the purchase price, whichever is greater. Put another way, this is not some token assistance program. $10,000 or six percent is nothing to sneeze at. What do you know, a government program that actually helps people.

In truth, HUD is one of those rare government agencies that does a great job. To find out more about the American Dream Downpayment Initiative, contact HUD.

They were scoffed at by mainstream scientists. We were told that they didn’t work! So why have millions been spent on research and development within the advertising industry? Why have Rock Stars been taken to court over their alleged use and why were they banned from television and radio by the UK, Australian & United States Governments?

Why? …. Because they work!

A few short years ago we were still being told that subliminal advertising didn’t exist yet today the truth of it can be seen all over the Internet. The Information Age has made it possible to burst the bubble on the myth that subliminal advertising doesnít exist. Moreover there is now empirical scientific evidence supporting the belief that subliminal messages can be extremely effective at guiding human behaviour.

In 2006 a study was conducted by a group of behavioural scientists at a university in the Netherlands. They found that subliminal messages had a massive effect on people when the conditions were right. They fed subjects subliminal messages that directed them to drink a certain beverage and found that if they made the subjects thirsty 80% chose the subliminal product.

Today the famous UK mind-magician, Derren Brown, has shown a world-wide audience how the power of subliminal messages can be used to manipulate people (see site below for free video footage). He even used it to collect winnings at a race track with a losing ticket!

However, despite the mass fear of mind manipulation and the millions spent by advertising agencies, subliminal messages should not be regarded as inherently bad. A scythe has been used for its primary purpose to cut wheat for hundreds of years but in the past under war situations it was also used to take a manís head off! Donít blame the tool for the way itís abused. We are bombarded by subliminal stimuli every second of everyday and it is not all intentional. We simply cannot consciously register and filter all the stimuli that is reaching our senses. Things go unnoticed like the temperature of the air, the watch on your wrist, the couple arguing about money across the street, the lamp that is still lit at 2pm etc. These outside stimuli are processed by your subconscious mind which stores everything it encounters.

So anything that is subliminal is just some stimulus that is “below the threshold of consciousness”. So a subliminal message is a message that is perceived below the awareness of your conscious mind and stored in your memory by your subconscious mind.

Now the subconscious mind is also responsible for not only memory but all your bodily functions and movements. In order to move your finger it must compute and execute a multitude of intricate muscle contractions, which start with action potentials and neurotransmitters in the brain. Its computations must be exact. Think how complex it would be if you were to consciously try and compute something simple like the distance a car is from you. Yet your subconscious mind can do it instantly! It learned through repetition. Look at a baby. It can’t walk, or talk or even have full control over its motor functions (movement of bodily parts). The baby learns to do these things by conscious effort. After many attempts, and failures, the baby learns and then the function is passed over to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind then responds in similar situations by recalling the memory and replicating it. You did the very same thing as an adult when you learned top drive a car.

Many problems arise, however, because the subconscious does the same thing with your emotional responses to certain situations. It stores them and replicates them in situations it sees to be similar. You were belittled and rejected when you were younger by a girl you fancied and now when you encounter a potential partner that you like you get clumsy, self-conscious, feel awkward, panicked and want to run away – yet the original memory may have long faded. The subconscious mind is a creature of habit. It accepts whatever the conscious mind passes to it and replicates this belief in your emotional responses, thoughts, action and even your environment.

The subconscious mind is extremely powerful. The only problem is it believes everything it is told without the slightest reservation. However, we have a safety net, so to speak. There is a guardian at the door of the subconscious mind called the conscious mind and it regulates what is and isnít allowed to get through. This is the thinking you that is reading this article now.

As we see from the example with the baby the most common way to gain access to the subconscious mind is through repetition. You should now understand why affirmations can be so powerful when employed correctly. However, in this age of technology we have found quicker more direct routes to the subconscious mind such as hypnosis, brain entrainment and of course subliminal messages.

If subliminal messages can manipulate your emotional responses and make you chose one product over another, as was shown in the Netherlands, then it can also be used as an invaluable self improvement tool. Imagine being able to feel more confident where before you felt timid? Or feeling calm when you felt stress? Imagine programming your mind to think and act like Bill Gates or Rockefeller? Imagine being able to create your own custom subliminal messages and program your mind with whatever you wanted. Just imagine!

In Americas 230 year history the government seems to have forgotten that there job is to run the government as the people see as best and not the government telling the people what is best for them.

The most recent example is the Internet gambling Ban signed into law last week by President Bush. The bill makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to transfer money to casinos for the purpose of wagering on sports or games of chance, like roulette, blackjack and poker.

These games are harmlessly enjoyed regularly by millions of Americans everyday, but some people become addicted to these games so the government is telling all of its citizens that no one is allowed to play these games in an online casino.

This is not the first case of the government going against the wishes of the people, in the early 1900ís the government decided that the consumption of Alcohol should be banned, because some people were developing health and mental problems related to drinking too much. So rather then educating the people on the ill effects of prolonged Alcohol abuse the American government banned Alcohol.

But instead of reducing the consumption of Alcoholic beverages it increased, and because the government was not allowing the production or importing of Alcohol, organized grime got into the moonshine business, and eventually the Government saw the error of their decision and repealed the law.

Another great example of a failed policy to protect the people is the war on drugs that the government has been aging since the early 1980ís Billions of tax dollars a year goes into the war on drugs, but what are the results?

The price of drugs has risen, and to support their habits many drug addicts have had to commit acts of robbery and murder to get their drugs.

The American prisons are packed full of people whose only crime was possession of these illegal drugs.

Instead of being an industry that is regulated and controlled you have people selling these drugs to kids in school playgrounds, and shooting each other to protect their territory.

Had the government decided not to criminalize drugs but make it a heavily controlled industry, they could use the tax money for social programs like schools ad to give Americans universal health care.

Please do not misunderstand me I am not in favor for legalizing hard drugs, but the current system is not working at all, but I am all in favor for legalizing online casino gambling.

If I choose to play some hands of blackjack or poker from the comfort of my home what rights does the government have to tell me not to, and what sense does it make that I can not play in a casino over the internet, but I can drive down the street to the local casino and play there.

To enforce this ban millions if not billions of dollars of software and computer hardware will be needed to monitor all of the banks transactions and that money will come from taxes instead of the government taxing online casinos or even having all the online casinos government controlled then they get all the profits to be used to improve the lives of the American citizens, millions of which are bellow the poverty line if not homeless.

The American government needs to start re-thinking its policy of treating its citizens like small children, or the American people need to demand a new government.

In Scottsdale, Arizona some important firms are organizing government car auctions. The events are always really successful; there is also a participant preview day for any government car auction in Arizona. Over 600 splendid cars are usually auctioned, speed cars, old cars; every piece is carefully prepared, in excellent condition, without any damage. These auctions are an American tradition since 1970.

Buying a vehicle pre-owned by the U.S.A. government is not difficult. You can simple take part at government car auctions in Arizona. A web site provides a list of vehicles for sale, location and times for every auction, and detailed description of the process. The sales representatives cater auto dealers; they will assist potential buyers to purchase at government car auctions in Arizona. The purchase is easy and simple; usually, there are no auction buyerís fees at government car auctions in Arizona.

U.S. General Services Administration is the agency that buys new vehicles and leases them to the federal agencies. When the vehicle complete their lease term, a government car auction is making possible to sell them to auto dealer or general public and renew the government fleet.

The great advantage of government car auction in Arizona is that the agencies are delivering all the vehicles in premium condition. Government car auction in Arizona has a solid reputation, transactions are transparent and fair. The cars are sold are they are, so the buyer must carefully inspect the car before making a bid. The buyer must also read, understand and sign the Terms and conditions document, available on the government car auction in Arizona site or at the sale.

How to buy a car
There are some simple steps to buy a pre-owned car from government car auction in Arizona. First of all, find an auction near you home, using the auction web site. Once arrived at the auction, register for the sale and inspect the inventory list to find the cars on the lot. Make a pre-selection, choosing several cars to bid on. It is wise to have a few alternatives to increase the chances to win during the auction.

If the buyer is new to the action process, the best solution is to ask the auctioneers to assist him during the bidding. It is also wise to pay by debit card, credit card, bank check or money order. The sales representative is always able to explain what option is accepted.

At government car auctions in Arizona, all the cars are clean, and ready to go. The majority includes 2000 ñ 2001 car models; the main advantages are low mileage, popular styles and colors, exceptional condition, power steering, power windows, AM / FM cassette deck, A/C.

The cars have been used for ordinary courses by government agencies; there are no military cars or repossessed cars. Another advantage is the price: many vehicles sell at wholesale prices. Vehicles are available for inspection a day before the auction and during the government car auctions in Arizona.

There are million of dollars of seized and unclaimed property auctioned by the government on an everyday basis. These potential hidden treasures include cars, houses, boats, jewelry, antiques, and more. Since the government has nothing invested and often lacks potential buyers, the amount required to purchase can be obscenely low. Auctions are a common method used to dispose of anything and everything they have accumulated.

Government auctions are held everyday all across the United States. Federal, State and Local governments all hold their own auctions on a regular basis. The following is some helpful information to get you started in your quest to find a new home, car or other property at a bargain price.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I locate a government auction near me?

— Unfortunately there is not one nice consolidated place that lists all of them for you. Local, state and federal governments tend not to operate in cooperation, but each has their own unique method of advertising their own auctions or sales. You can begin by contacting your local or state government in person, by phone, or email. Sometimes you will find listings for auctions in the local newspaper or posted at various city or county buildings. Searching the internet may also turn up listings.

Is it complicated to buy via an auction?

— No, generally there is a simple registration process. When you register, you get information about their payment and other policies, like how long you have to remove an item, once youíve purchased it and whether or how closely you will be allowed to inspect what is up for bid, before they begin the auction.

How do I find that particular item I’m looking for?

— This is where the fun begins. It can take lots, and lots of looking. Often auction listings only mention some of the items being sold, not all of them. Checking with the local agency that would logically have the item you might want is a good idea. An agriculture related agency would be a good place to start looking for used tractors, instead of a business oriented department or agency.

Why are things so cheap?

— Simple supply and demand. The government seizes property everyday and there are a limited number of people that know how to buy it. The government is not at risk of taking a loss since they did not invest in the item to begin with.

Can you really buy a car for $100?

— Yes, there are cars that cheap, but they most likely will not be in mint condition. You should pursue this like you would when buying any used car. Kick the tires, look under the hood, and take it for a test drive if they will allow it. Try to check to make sure the car is not a ‘salvage car’ before purchasing.

What about real estate?

— The current economic situation likely makes this the newest potential goldmine for those with some money to invest. With the housing market and mortgage market taking huge hits this year, more homes have gone into foreclosure or are being seized by the government for back taxes owed. Watch the papers and internet websites for ‘tax sales’. The flood of homes being seized is making it difficult to impossible for various government agencies to find buyers for a wide range of properties.

The potential is only limited by the effort you put forth. I have seen a pallet of computers go for less than the cost of a single computer, because I was in the right place at the right time, but without a truck For those who have done the research and have prepared there truly are treasures waiting.

First things first when starting a pilot car or truck escort business.

Pretty much every state is going to want you to register your business with a minimum of a DBA or “doing business as”. You may decide you would rather start a corporation or limited liability company. We suggest that you talk to an attorney about what entity is best for you as each persons circumstances are different. There are many factors to consider like taxes, marital status, joint incomes, the amount of money you bring into your household and of course liability. With a DBA you can get your pants sued off of you if you made a mistake or got someone hurt. With a corporation or LLC it would not be the corporate body bearing the responsibility of your actions. Once you have that figured out you can move on to getting your flaggers license and dealing with any state insurance and training qualifications that are required.

You’re going to need to learn how to lead or chase oversize loads.

No matter what the requirements are in your state or province one thing for sure is you are going to have to learn how to perform the job you are wanting to do. There are a lot of rules and regulations governing exactly how oversize loads are dealt with. Whether or not you are leading through an area or you are following them through an area. Each state has different requirements. How many lanes are on the road you will be traveling? How wide is the shipment? These variables determine if a pilot car is in the “lead” position (front) or in the “chase” position (rear) of the shipment they are escorting. Height is another issue. If a shipment is too tall (14′ is a good average number) then a pilot car vehicle will need to be equipped with a “high pole” or height pole. This pole is attached to the front of the pilot car or escort vehicle and adjusted either 6″ (in some states) or 12″ (in other states”) over the actual height of the shipment that is being transported. If the height pole hits any obstructions from bridges to power lines the pilot car operator is required to immediately notify the driver of the truck the shipment is loaded on and the transport driver must pull over to asses the situation to make certain the obstruction is not hit.

Assuming you have the things we’ve talked about above; appropriate vehicle, business license, a traffic control certificate or “flaggers license” and ability to get additional insurance coverage if required in your state as well as have an understanding of the terms “lead” and “chase”. You must be a least 18 with a valid drivers license. Done the research for the state your reside in (at minimum) so you know what is considered a “wideload” or “oversize load” (anything over 102″ wide or over 13′ 7″ tall in most states). Researched the minimum and maximum distances pilot cars, escorts (lead or chase) are the remain from the shipment as well as any other additional certification requirements (such as New Mexico) just to name one then you are ready to start compiling a required equipment list. Some states appear to not have fully evolved yet when it comes to equipment as they have just a few equipment requirements. If you live in one of these states we highly suggest you look at other states that are tougher on equipment and pattern your pilot car company off of them. Is it more expensive? Yes. Why? Because your job as a pilot car company operator is to protect motorists. Peoples lives are at risk. You want to make sure you are prepared for every situation that could possibly come up which means you need a full quiver of equipment and not only that but you need the absolute best equipment you can buy. You will find if you by cheap equipment for your pilot car company start up business that you will only have to go spend more money to go an buy it again. Not only that but when your cheap equipment fails at that very moment you are putting other peoples lives at danger. Not only that but you are putting your brand new start up company in danger because if someone does get hurt because you bought cheap equipment you could be liable for your negligence. Be smart and do it right. Get the best equipment available the first time so you are not endangering the general public or having to spend your hard earned money on something that will fail you. We suggest all pilot car company operators have a minimum of the items listed in the next paragraph.

Start up and existing pilot car company required equipment list.

1 professional mileage book with room for notations and 1 journal book. Keep good logs and summary daily.

5 – 36″ orange road cones with two strips of safety reflective tape at the top.

5 – 12″ orange road cones (day use) with at least one safety reflective strip at top just in case (night use).

1 very good all inclusive first aid kit. The more you spend the better. Familiarize yourself with everything.

Stop/Slow safety paddle sign no less that 24″ the same shape as a stop sign with a 5′ handle.

2 flashlights that run on a minimum of 2 DC batteries with extra batteries.

1 heavy duty set of jumper cables. The best pair you can find.

1 jump box with charge meter indicating level of charge. A jump box is an external battery for starting vehicles.

Chains for all 4 wheels of your vehicle for snow covered passes or iced roads.

2 two way radios fully charged with 2 fully charged batteries.

1 GPS with good up to date quality mapping software that allows you to create way-points.

Once you have the equipment in place it’s time to start thinking about taking a class or learning the rules and regulations that your state has in reference to escorting oversize loads. As discussed briefly above you will still have to deal with insurance requirements as well as some other certifications that are required by states as well. Join us as we continue to explore the requirements of starting a pilot car company continued.